Robert E Sears | TCA College (original) (raw)

Uploads

Papers by Robert E Sears

The Oxford Handbook of the Cognitive Science of Religion, 2022

This chapter analyzes basic and higher-level features of religious dreams and mystical experience... more This chapter analyzes basic and higher-level features of religious dreams and mystical experiences through the complementary lenses of event cognition and hierarchical predictive coding, which explain cognitive processing in terms of prediction casting and error feedback associated with sensory intake. With regard to mystical experience, it suggests that sustained error feedback, resulting in “de-automatization” of hierarchical processing and “cognitive resource depletion,” may explain some basic features of extrovertive and introvertive varieties. With regard to religious dreams, it claims that reduced error feedback, due to sensory gating during sleep, enables an individual’s preexisting religious schemata to inform dream content in accordance with continuity theory. Further, the chapter argues that challenges forming or maintaining predictions relative to the underlying
content of dreams and mystical experiences may entail searching for extrinsic event causes and using religious attributions. In this vein, it argues that complexity drops between expected and actual circumstances instigate agency detection, which may culminate in attribution of causality to a supernatural agent if nonsupernatural concept alternatives are unavailable or lack explanatory relevance. While the focus is on the processing
of religious dreams and mystical experiences, the conclusion briefly discusses some of their possible functions and consequences with regard to the phenomenon of religion.

This article derives from a paper presented at the Philosophy of Religion and Mysticism Conferenc... more This article derives from a paper presented at the Philosophy of Religion and Mysticism Conference hosted by the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, May 22-24, 2014. That paper introduced theories and methods drawn from the ‘cognitive science of religion’ (CSR) and suggested future avenues of research connecting CSR and scholarship on mysticism. Towards these same ends, the present article proceeds in three parts. Part I outlines the origins, aims, and basic tenets of CSR research. Part II discusses one specific causal perspective that informs a wide range of CSR research, Sperber’s ‘epidemiological’ approach to cultural expression, and connects this perspective to the example of creator deities. Part III discusses some possible future directions for CSR research concerning mysticism and mystical experience. Finally, a coda addresses two common misunderstandings concerning the ‘reductionist’ nature of CSR research. The authors were invited to the Philosophy of Religion and Mystic...

Frontiers in Psychology, 2019

Nordin and Bjälkebring’s research on counterintuitiveness (CI) in the dreams of Nepali Hindus is ... more Nordin and Bjälkebring’s research on counterintuitiveness (CI) in the dreams of Nepali Hindus is seemingly the first case of applying Barrett’s (2008) coding scheme to dream reports. This commentary briefly addresses Nordin and Bjälkebring’s main findings with the coding scheme before considering their proposal for the manifestation of supernatural agents (SAs) in dreams. As discussed below, their proposal is vague and ignores other factors that are relevant to oneiric SA manifestation.

Mission Studies, 2018

Despite consideration from missiologists studying Muslim-to-Christian conversion, the role of dre... more Despite consideration from missiologists studying Muslim-to-Christian conversion, the role of dreams in contemporary Christian conversion has not received widespread attention. Additionally, though researchers have frequently noted the use of dreams among Pentecostal/charismatic Christians, this finding stands in need of exploration vis-à-vis the concept of conversion. This study will address each of these issues and further the general understanding of the role of dreams in Christian conversion by examining this topic in contemporary Nepal, a predominantly Hindu nation with a rapidly growing, extensively Pentecostal/charismatic Christian community. Relying on data from a combination of surveys, interviews, and participant observation, this study discusses the prevalence, preconditions, processes, and impact of dream-related conversion vis-à-vis a Pentecostal church context in Nepal.

Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 2016

This study examines the responses of Nepali Christians and Hindus to the newly developed Dreaming... more This study examines the responses of Nepali Christians and Hindus to the newly developed Dreaming Mysticism Scale (DMS). Factor breakdowns of the DMS for Christians and Hindus were basically identical, and together they and the factor breakdown of the combined sample suggest an interpretation–extraversion–interpretation typology that corresponds to the typical finding of studies employing the cognate M Scale. Differences between the DMS and the Spiritual Dreams Scale (SDS) with regard to factor structure appear to be linguistic in origin. Overall, the language employed in the DMS is more generic than that found in the SDS, making the former more suitable for cross-cultural investigations.

Epistemology and Philosophy of Science, 2017

This paper offers a brief introduction, summary, and commentary on the cognitive science of relig... more This paper offers a brief introduction, summary, and commentary on the cognitive science of religion (CSR), a burgeoning, interdisciplinary field of study that examines the way mental resources and predispositions facilitate religious beliefs and behavior. This presentation of CSR devotes special attention to research on teleological bias, agency detection, and counterintuitive concepts; moreover, critical discussions of mystical experience and god concepts ensue from treatments of the latter two topics. Research on teleological bias, agency detection, and counterintuitiveness supports the basic position that religious cognition is natural, although distinctive rationales are associated with each topic of investigation. While the major focus of this article is epistemological – how religious thought develops and is sustained – the conclusion briefly addresses the ontological significance of basic CSR findings.

Perspectives on Science & Christian Faith, Mar 1, 2017

Recent theological writings indicate that theological conclusions are, to some extent, predicated... more Recent theological writings indicate that theological conclusions are, to some extent, predicated on theologians' understandings of experience. Furthermore, recent and contemporary theologians are not unified in their understandings. George Lindbeck recognizes this scenario in his influential work The Nature of Doctrine (2009/1984), where he also describes two opposing ideologies as experiential-expressivism and cultural-linguistic theory. The former is basically ignorant of social construction and therefore claims that religious experiences are basically identical across cultures; the latter recognizes social construction and therefore claims that religious experiences are basically different across cultures. While many theologians tend towards one of these views, neither is sufficient from a perspective informed by cognitive science. In conjunction with studies of cognition, affect, and behavior, this article argues for a revised understanding of experience that recognizes the principles of mediation and degrees of cross-cultural sharing. Some implications of this revised understanding for interreligious dialogue and theology of religions will then be discussed.

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Mar 5, 2015

This study aimed to create and test a dream-specific version of Hood's Mysticism (M) Scale for th... more This study aimed to create and test a dream-specific version of Hood's Mysticism (M) Scale for the purpose of studying dreaming mystical experience. Factor analysis of the Spiritual Dreams Scale (SDS), based on data collected from 289 adults affiliated with an American evangelical Christian school, clearly resulted in three factors in accordance with prior studies of the M Scale. However, the factor composition of the SDS did not identically resemble the findings of previous studies of the M Scale. Instead, the three-factor solution suggested a Jamesian interpretation according to which the factors were labeled mystical psychology (passivity), perceived alternate reality (ineffability), and noesis. Scores on the SDS shared significant positive correlations with scores for absorption, dream beliefs, dream recall, and kataphatic prayer. A scale for apophatic prayer failed to share a significant correlation with the SDS.

Unpublished paper, 2011

"The thesis of this paper is that evangelical endorsement of neoliberal ideology perpetuates econ... more "The thesis of this paper is that evangelical endorsement of neoliberal ideology perpetuates economic injustice and therefore [this ideology] must be abandoned in favor of a biblical theology that accepts collective responsibility and corporate action [...] This paper will be organized into three sections [...] The first of the next three sections will attempt to show how neoliberalism came to be endorsed by a great number of evangelicals in the United States. Then, a second section will show how citizens and the Church have been hurt by the message and effects of neoliberalism. Finally, a third section will attempt to construct a biblical theology that promotes economic justice for all."

Book Reviews by Robert E Sears

Nova Religio, Nov 1, 2016